


Hunter's Gambit

by Skyepilot



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Almost Kiss, Coulson loves Skye, F/M, Love, Love Confessions, Misunderstandings, Skye loves Coulson, This is all Lance Hunter's fault, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2014-10-26
Packaged: 2018-02-22 15:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2512433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/pseuds/Skyepilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ficlet post 02x05. So, this is just probably going to be a repetitive sort of thing for me, thinking of scenarios in which Lance Hunter's meddlings make Skoulson kiss or define their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hunter's Gambit

"C'mon, Hunter," Skye said, watching Bobbi talk to Coulson and Trip. "Everyone knows your ex-wife is no nightmare."

"Get closer," Hunter said, leaning towards her from over her shoulder. "The death of a thousand stings."

They were sitting at the far table of the ready room while Skye worked from her laptop on the mission details she'd been given.

Hunter was simply lurking.

Skye sighed and turned to look at him. "The way you talk about her so much, I'd guess you're not over her."

Hunter made an irritated face. " _Over_. Trust me."

"Well, maybe you should try burying the hatchet?" Skye asked, crossing her arms.

"You mean, like you and the Director have?"

"Not this again," Skye said, rolling her eyes.

"It's alright, Skye," he said, in a placating tone. "He's a handsome fellow, for his age. Likeable enough," he went on. "When he's not being withholding and hiding a huge part of himself beneath some weighty secrets."

Skye just blinked back at him. Hunter wasn't budging.

"He's nice to look at, huh?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

Hunter looked over at Coulson, shrugged.

"In a suit, anyway."

Skye shook her head, and turned back towards her laptop.

"Don't tell me you don't fancy him," Hunter said, leaning in conspiratorily.

Skye didn't answer, but she did glance over at Coulson, he was mid-conversation with Bobbi.

"So what's stopping you, love?" he continued.

"It's not like that," she said, with a sigh.

She was startled out her thoughts when Coulson's eyes flickered over to hers, holding her gaze for a long moment.

Skye heard Hunter chuckle to himself.

"ESP," he joked into her ear.

A strange expression passed over Coulson's face as he broke away and headed back up the stairs to his office.

She ignored Hunter as he fidgeted, tipping his chair back to balance on its back legs.

"Skye," Coulson called out from the top of the stairs. "My office."

Hunter raised his eyebrows at her, as she stood and folded her laptop.

Walking by him, she kicked at the back legs of the chair and Hunter landed on his back flat on the floor.

"Hey!"

Hunter looked up at Bobbi staring down at him, shaking her head.

"Need a hand?" Trip asked, appearing with a grin next to her.

"Forget it."

"A heart?" Bobbi asked.

Hunter rolled his eyes.

  
****

 

"Hunter," Coulson said, when she finally shut the door.

"Hello to you, too, sir," she replied furrowing her eyebrows.

"Is he bothering you?" Coulson continued, coming around his desk.

"No," she said, after a moment. "He's just being...Hunter."

"You're frowning as you say that," he said, with a slight smile.

"He's patented annoying, sir," she said, turning as he stepped behind her for a moment to straighten one of the glasses on the conference table.

"He's also been making some pretty insinuating comments, from what I understand," Coulson said, folding his hands in front of him.

Skye looked away, swallowed.

"I'm bringing this up, because, Fury had to deal with this sort of thing all the time. And, I know how important this is to you," he paused. "At least, I think I do?"

"It is," she said, looking back at him.

"Maria and Tasha, they both took a lot of heat for being close to Fury. Astoundingly capable, dynamic leaders, either one of them could be head of SHIELD right now if they wanted it.  But some people just chose to dismiss their obvious talent."

"What are you trying to say?" she asked.

"That being this close to the top comes with some unfortunate side effects," he shrugged. "People are going to talk."

She touched the top of the table, tried to think through what she wanted to say.

"I don't think that's how Hunter meant it, sir, but, thank you."

Coulson looked a little surprised, she could tell by the way his forehead knotted briefly.

"Hunter understands why I'm here," she said. "It's more like he doesn't understand why..."

Coulson leaned forward slightly.

"Why we're... _not_...," she couldn't finish it.

"Huh," Coulson said, his eyes getting bigger as he turned away slightly.

"It's just," she said, "I haven't put very much thought into categorizing whatever this is."

"I see," he said, his hands gripping the back of one of the conference chairs.

"And suddenly, I feel this pressure, now, to try to define it, and...I don't know how."

"SHIELD has some unspoken rules about these things," he said, wincing.

"Yes, SHIELD," she said. And taking a step forward, she put her hand on his arm. "You're not just SHIELD."

"Yes, I am, Skye," he said.

"That's not _all_ you are," she replied, stopping him when he tried to put some distance between them.

"Believe me," she said, "I mean that as a friend, I'm not trying..."

"I know," he said. "And you've done so much for me already. I just can't."

"Can't what?" she asked slowly.

"This. This is what I have," he said, gesturing around the office. "It's what I'm trying to hold together. It's what I'm trying to build.  Because, one day, it's yours."

"Wait, are you saying...?"

"I want you to be Director someday. I thought that's what you wanted, too."

"I want it," she said, stepping closer to him, watching him swallow nervously as he stared down at her. "But, not without you in it," she said, reaching to touch his face.

"Skye...," he looked pained.

"I need you to just be a man for a moment, not the Director of SHIELD, not the guy drawing alien maps on the wall."

It was like he was seeing right through her.

"What do you see?" she asked, putting her hands on his arms. "If you took all of this away?"

Releasing a breath, she watched him focus on her again, gazing down at her.

"That I'm in love with you," he said.

She closed her eyes, relieved and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him to her.

"Thank you," she said with a hush. "Thank you. I didn't want it to just be me."

His arms came around her and slowly stroked her back, soothing her. Then she felt his lips on her forehead and sighed.

"How did we get ourselves into this?" he asked.

"You had Ward throw a bag over my head," she said, smiling at the feeling of him laughing in her arms.

She felt his hands gently touch her shoulders as he pulled them apart.

"Director."

It was Koenig's voice coming over the speaker system.

"Something that needs your _special attention_. If you know what I mean."

Coulson gave her a sad smile and walked over behind his desk, hit the button on the panel.

"I'll be there shortly," he answered.

Skye had turned away from him, wanting to give herself a moment to recover.

It had been too brief, and she wasn't entirely sure what this would mean.

She felt his hands come around her arms as he stood behind her.

"I have to go," he said, leaning in close to her.

His lips softly touched her neck, as she closed her eyes, breathing in the sensation.

"We should talk more," he whispered into her ear.  "And...other things."

Letting her breath go in a rush, she laughed and watched him go to the office door as he turned back to her for a moment, a fond expression on his face.

"Later?" he asked eagerly.

" _Later_."


End file.
